'Isolationism no longer an option' for U.S., Hennessy says

"Perspectives clearly have changed," says President John
Hennessy, reflecting on the past year. "One of those perspectives
has been a renewed appreciation for the importance of education, in
developing people who have a better understanding of the world we
live in and a better understanding of the cultural backgrounds in
which we live."

The
attacks have altered how the university thinks about current
programs and the programs it plans to build, he says, including a
renewed interest in Islamic studies, "which has been on the burner
for more than 10 years."

Nowhere, however, does Hennessy see more dramatic changes than
the ones he sees in students, whom he describes as being seared by
the images of the World Trade Center. They now have a greater
appreciation of the importance of global understanding.

"Most heartening has been that the students have realized that
it hearkens an era where isolationism is no longer an option for
the United States. You can no longer pursue that kind of policy in
the world," Hennessy says. "They see that the set of problems we
face in ensuring that basic education and human rights are
available to every person in the world -- and the availability and
lack of availability of those kinds of very basic things in some
parts of the world -- not only affect those people, but affect them
as well."